Leonardo Bonucci tries to look on the positive side of the 2-1 Nations League defeat to Spain, insisting he is ‘not so negative’ about the Italy performance, despite taking responsibility for his own howler.
The Azzurri were a goal down in the third minute, as Bonucci was caught napping on the edge of his own penalty area, then Ciro Immobile converted a penalty before Joselu’s 88th minute winner.
“I wouldn’t say we started very badly,” insisted the veteran centre-back on RAI Sport and Sky Sport Italia.
“We created two early attacks and we did that by playing out from the back. Ultimately, Davide Frattesi’s goal was a few centimetres offside and Joselu was a few centimetres onside. We were not fortunate and this evening it all turned around those two incidents.”
Inevitably, Juventus defender Bonucci was angry at himself for the error that gifted the opening goal to Yeremy Pina in the first three minutes.
“To be honest, I am livid. I never hid from my responsibilities, it was an error caused by the desire to play out from the back the way the coach asks, they did well in the high press, we were less good in passing it quickly.
“Spain are a good team, but aside from that great Gigio (Donnarumma) save, they didn’t create much. We had a goal ruled offside by a matter of centimetres,” insisted Bonucci.
“We wanted to go and play the Final, but I am not so negative in my reading of the game. There are moments when playing against Spain that you have to suffer, that you cannot focus on beautiful football, and they made the most of it.”
Italy sat deeper and deeper in the second half, rarely managing to go on the counter-attack when the spaces did open up behind Spain’s defence.
“I don’t know what happened. It’s true that Spain pinned us back into our own half and we struggled to go on the counter. With help from Jorginho, in the first half we managed to find a few passing channels that suit us, but we had more difficulty after the break and didn’t create as many chances other than that great Unai Simon save on Frattesi.”
Bonucci was substituted by Matteo Darmian at half-time, but the performance from the team did not improve and if anything they got more and more defensive.
“Obviously, the game can change based on the characteristics of the players at our disposal. We were able to find men between the lines in the first half, but then Spain raised their press and it made it more difficult. I was also off the field at that point, so I can only analyse so much of what was happening.
“I am angry for the mistake, but only those who never do anything will avoid all mistakes. I have always taken responsibility and this evening’s game certainly won’t cancel out my career, and indeed not even all of the game was poor, we had some good moments.”
Bonucci also seemed rusty, as he has barely started any matches for Juventus this season amid injuries and poor form.
“Not playing is no good for anything, but I have never shied away from my own mistakes.”